Feds say they are listening

May 31, 2016

The U.S. Department of Education has released “draft regulations outlining how states should judge which schools are succeeding and which are in need of intervention,” noting that the issue is “a key point of contention” regarding ESSA, “with civil rights activists on the one side and teachers unions and Republican lawmakers on the other.” The piece in the Washington Post (5/26) explains that ESSA gives states more flexibility regarding accountability than did NCLB, and that in addition to standardized testing, states can “include other non-test measures, such as access to advanced coursework and rates of chronic absenteeism, in judging schools.”

Meanwhile, U.S. News and World Report (5/27) reports that the department is facing criticism from “Republicans on Capitol Hill and conservative education policymakers” over its guidelines of how states should implement ESSA, and “are accusing the Obama administration of breaking its promises on education reform.”